Plastic packages are popular for storing food products and other items. Reclosable packages that can be securely closed and reopened are particularly popular due to their ability to maintain freshness of the food stored in the package and to minimize leakage to and from the package. Thus, reclosable packages are very common, especially in the food industry.
Reclosable packages are typically made to be reclosable via the use of a reclosable feature, such as a resealable adhesive seal or a reclosable zipper. Reclosable zippers can be opened and closed either by finger pressure or by use of an auxiliary slider mechanism. Because of the mechanical sealing provided by a zipper, the zipper has become the preferred type of reclosable feature.
In one particular type of package, a formed tray is sealed by flexible cover that is positioned over the formed tray. These formed-tray packages are especially useful for packaging items such as meats and cheese. Because these types of contents are not all used at once, it is desirable to have these formed-tray packages include a tamper-evident feature and a reclosable zipper. Further, because the opening and closing of these zippers is more easily accomplished by use of a slider, consumers prefer a slider-actuated zipper.
The present invention relates to an improved formed-tray package having a tamper-evident feature and a zipper that is preferably actuated by a slider.